Favourite Fables in Prose and Verse Part 15

MORAL.

When fools pretend to wit and sense, And wish to s.h.i.+ne at your expense, Defy them to the proof, and you Will make them their own folly show.

FABLE LXXVI.

THE HUSBANDMAN AND HIS SONS.

A CERTAIN Husbandman, lying at the point of death, and being desirous his sons should pursue that innocent, entertaining course of agriculture in which he himself had been engaged all his life, made use of this expedient to induce them to it. He called them to his bed-side and spoke to this effect: "All the patrimony I have to bequeath you, Sons, is my farm and my vineyard, of which I make you joint heirs. But I charge you not to let it go out of your own occupation; for if I have any treasure besides, it lies buried somewhere in the ground, within a foot of the surface."

This made the Sons conclude that he talked of money which he had hid there; so, after their father's death, with unwearied diligence and application, they carefully dug up every inch, both of the farm and vineyard; from which it came to pa.s.s that, though they missed the treasure which they expected, the ground, by being so well stirred and loosened, produced so plentiful a crop of all that was sowed in it as proved a real, and no inconsiderable treasure.

MORAL.

Labour and industry, well applied, seldom fail of finding a rich treasure. And if these do not give us exactly the wealth we are looking for, they will certainly give us health and cheerfulness, with a tranquil mind, and, without these, all the gold of Peru would lie in our coffers useless.

FABLE LXXVII.

THE BALD KNIGHT.

A CERTAIN Knight growing old, his hair fell off, and he became bald; to hide which imperfection he wore a periwig. But as he was riding out with some others a-hunting, a sudden gust of wind blew off the periwig, and exposed his bald pate.

The company could not forbear laughing at the accident; and he himself laughed as loud as anybody, saying, "How was it to be expected that I should keep strange hair on my head, when my own would not stay there."

MORAL.

If, by any word or action, we happen to raise the laughter of those about us, we cannot stifle it better than, by a brisk presence of mind, to join in the mirth of the company, and, if possible, antic.i.p.ate the jests they are ready to make on us.

FABLE LXXVIII.

THE DOG IN THE MANGER.

A DOG was lying upon a manger full of hay. An Ox, being hungry, came near, and wanted to eat of the hay; but the envious, ill-natured cur, getting up and snarling at him, would not suffer him to touch it. Upon which the Ox, in the bitterness of his heart, said, "What a selfish wretch thou art, for thou canst neither eat hay thyself, nor suffer others to do so."

MORAL.

Selfishness is a most contemptible thing; but that degree of it which withholds from others what we can make no possible use of ourselves, is hateful in the extreme.

FABLE LXXIX.

THE OLD MAN AND DEATH.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE DOG IN THE MANGER.]

A POOR, feeble old Man, who had crawled out into a neighbouring wood to gather a few sticks, had made up his bundle, and, laying it over his shoulders, was trudging homeward with it; but what with age, and the length of the way, and the weight of his burden, he grew so faint and weak that he sunk under it, and, as he sat on the ground, called upon Death to come and ease him of his troubles. Death no sooner heard him than he came and demanded of him what he wanted. The poor old creature, who little thought Death had been so near, and frightened almost out of his senses with his terrible aspect, answered him, trembling, That, having by chance let his bundle of sticks fall, and being too infirm to get it up himself, he had made bold to call upon him to help him; that, indeed, this was all he wanted at present, and that he hoped his wors.h.i.+p was not offended with him for the liberty he had taken in so doing.

MORAL.

Men lightly speak of Death when they think he is far away; but let him appear near, and the very sense of his approach almost drives the life away. Men then resume the burden of cares which they had thrown down as insupportable, being content to bear the ills they have than fly to others that they know not of.

FABLE Lx.x.x.

THE OLD HEN AND YOUNG c.o.c.k.

As an old Hen led forth her train, And seemed to peck, to show the grain; She raked the chaff, she scratched the ground, And gleaned the s.p.a.cious yard around.

A giddy chick, to try her wings, On the well's narrow margin springs, And p.r.o.ne she drops. The mother's breast All day with sorrow was possessed.

A c.o.c.k she met--her son, she knew; And in her heart affection grew.

"My son," says she, "I grant, your years Have reached beyond a mother's cares; I see you vigorous, strong, and bold; I hear, with joy, your triumphs told.

'Tis not from c.o.c.ks thy fate I dread; But let thy ever-wary tread Avoid yon well; that fatal place Is sure perdition to our race.

Print this, my counsel, on thy breast; To the just G.o.ds I leave the rest."

He thanked her care; yet, day by day, His bosom burned to disobey; And every time the well he saw, Scorned, in his heart, the foolish law; Near and more near each day he drew, And longed to try the dangerous view.

"Why was this idle charge?" he cries; "Let courage female fears despise!

Or did she doubt my heart was brave, And, therefore, this injunction gave?

Or does her harvest store the place, A treasure for her younger race?

And would she thus my search prevent?-- I stand resolved, and dare th' event."

Thus said, he mounts the margin's round, And pries into the depth profound.

He stretched his neck; and, from below, With stretching neck advanced a foe: With wrath his ruffled plumes he tears; The foe with ruffled plumes appears: Threat answered threat, his fury grew; Headlong to meet the war he flew; But when the watery death he found, He thus lamented as he drowned: "I ne'er had been in this condition, Had I obeyed the prohibition."

MORAL.